Tech Volleyball Welcomes No. 8 Nebraska
October 27, 2009 | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 27, 2009
LUBBOCK, Texas - Still looking for its first win in the potent Big 12 conference, Texas Tech (2-17, 0-10) hosts No. 8 Nebraska (15-5, 8-3) on Wednesday for a 6:30 p.m. match at the United Spirit Arena and then heads to No. 22 Baylor (18-4, 7-4) to try to take down the Bears at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, in Waco.
Nebraska, which enters the match as the No. 8 team in the nation and is in third in the Big 12 standing a game back of Iowa State and three behind No. 2 Texas, comes to Lubbock after a 3-1 win in Oklahoma over the weekend. Led by Hannah Werth's 3.12 kills-per-set, the Husker offense features a variety of weapons. Tara Mueller lends 2.99 kps and Kori Cooper leads Nebraska in efficiency at a .348 clip.
"Nebraska is such a potentially explosive, well coached team," head coach Trish Knight said. "This year they may not have the one marquee player or All-American type that they've featured in the past, but overall they're just so talented and they play volleyball at such a high level. We have to be up to the challenge of not committing mistakes on our side of the court and need to be ready to contend with a barrage of different types of attacks in order to compete," she added.
Sydney Anderson directs the Husker offense and averages 10.97 assists per set. The blocking game features two players who average more than one stuff per set, in Brooke Delano (1.18 bps) and Lindsey Licht's (1.09). As a squad the team hits for a .235 efficiency. The defense is anchored by Kayla Banwarth who leads the team with 363 digs on the year (4.84 dps).
Tech is led by Amanda Dowdy's 3.23 kills per set and Barbara Conceicao's .232 hitting efficiency. Miara Cave and Caroline Courtney each adds 1.44 and 1.35 kps, respectively to an offense which is directed by setter Karlyn Meyers (7.93 assists per set). Miscues in the attack have plagued the Red Raiders who as a team hit .128.
Defensively, Tech gets 2.39 digs per set from Jenn Goehry, 1.94 from Tory Vaughan and 1.45 from Aleah Hayes. Dowdy has also scooped up 1.95 dps to aid in the effort. The blocking game, led by Conceicao's 1.31 bps, which is good enough for second in the Big 12, and Meyer's 0.80 bps has been the statistical highlight of the 2009 squad.
October 28, Promotional Night Notes
Wednesday's match with Nebraska has been dubbed "Can the Cornhuskers!" night as fans will receive complimentary admission to the match with a donation of two cans of food for local food-bank efforts.
Also, children who come dressed in Halloween costumes will be able to "Trick or Treat with the Red Raiders" on the concourse after the match. (Presumably adults who are in costume may also parade with the team, but will not be eligible for candy!)
